‘Don’t know where to turn’: Singapore drivers face uncertainty, mull alternatives as Malaysia VEP deadline looms

JOHOR BAHRU: For 41-year-old Kevin Lee, driving across the Causeway two to three times a week is crucial for him to do his job. 
The Singaporean who works in the construction industry regularly travels to Malaysia’s Johor Bahru to meet with clients, and he told CNA he needs to drive because it is the most time-efficient way to travel. 
However, Mr Lee is anxious because he has yet to complete the application process to secure a Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) for his car.  
From Oct 1, Malaysia will require all foreign-registered cars entering the country by land to have a VEP. Motorists who fail to do so may be fined up to RM2,000 (US$475) or jailed for up to six months.
Mr Lee said that his VEP application had been approved three weeks ago, but he still has not received his radio frequency identification (RFID) tag which he opted to be posted to his home in Singapore. He has emailed Malaysia authorities for an update but has not received any reply.
The RFID identity tag is a unique identifier for each vehicle and a key part of the VEP.
“I have still not received anything and will just have to wait until it arrives. In a sense, I’m totally stuck,” he said. 
“Come Oct 1, I’m not sure how the rule will be enforced. We are in the sales line so driving is important. If I cannot get a VEP, I have to let my boss know and we will consider alternatives,” Mr Lee added. 
Like Mr Lee, many Singapore drivers CNA spoke to who have yet to secure VEPs are unsure whether they will be able to complete the VEP application in time. 
If not, they are bracing themselves for uncertainty over how they will be travelling across the Causeway for leisure, business or connecting with family members. 
Meanwhile, others have turned to alternative modes of transportation such as taxi services to cross the Causeway and car rental companies for travel within Malaysia. 
Some of these firms based in Johor Bahru have noted a surge in enquiries and bookings recently for services after Oct 1.
When CNA visited the VEP offices in Johor Bahru and in Singapore’s Woodlands over the last two weeks, both were crowded with drivers on scheduled appointments as well as those wishing to make enquiries.
Mr Ng Poh Heng, manager of the Woodlands office called MY VEP, told CNA that officers were overwhelmed and they have turned away all those who do not have scheduled appointments. 
A senior official from TCSens office in Danga Bay told CNA that officials are doing everything they can to clear the backlog of appointments but he acknowledged that some drivers may only receive their tags after the Oct 1 deadline.
“Tag appointments are full through the end of October but we have appointments available in November,” he added. 
During a visit to a VEP main collection office in Johor Bahru in August, Malaysia Transport Minister Anthony Loke said that authorities had received close to 60,000 applications between May 28, when the Oct 1 VEP deadline was announced, and Jul 31.
He said then that 40 per cent of the applications were incomplete, adding that he anticipates a further 50,000 VEP applications ahead of the Oct 1 enforcement deadline.
“If they were to enter Malaysia without the VEP (from Oct 1), they would have broken the rules,” Mr Loke said. 
On Sep 19, Malaysia’s Road Transport Department (JPJ) announced that it will open two new locations in Johor on Sep 22 for Singapore vehicle owners to install their VEP tags. 
The centres will be at the Road Transport Academy (Southern Region) in Larkin and at the Johor JPJ Complex in Taman Daya.
While the VEP policy and its implementation is under the purview of the transport ministry in Malaysia’s federal government, Johor Chief Minister Onn Hafiz Ghazi has pledged to assist Singapore drivers who are facing issues. 
Speaking at a forum in Singapore on Sep 18, Mr Onn Hafiz was asked by a member of the audience if Malaysian authorities could ease the concerns of drivers who have not installed their VEP tags. 
In reply, he said that he takes the “complaint” seriously, and pledged to do something about it when he returns to Johor, without elaborating.  
Many drivers CNA spoke to said that they will be holding off from driving across the land checkpoints into Johor post-Oct 1 if their VEP applications have still not been completed. 
Even though Malaysia authorities have not outlined specific measures on VEP enforcement at the border checkpoints from Oct 1, Singapore drivers stressed that they were not prepared to take risks in running afoul of Malaysia law. 
A Singapore driver who wanted to be known only as Mr Lee SC told CNA that he is concerned that road traffic authorities could detect that he does not have a valid VEP RFID tag installed in his car during security checks or if he is involved in an accident. 
Mr Lee said that he typically travels into Johor Bahru once a month for groceries, shopping and short vacations. 
The retiree told CNA that he had completed the VEP application for his car back in 2019, but that the tag has now expired after five years. He has completed the application component for the renewal and is awaiting approval before he can book an appointment to have his new RFID tag installed. 
“My concern is that the authorities like traffic police may realise that my RFID is not valid, then they might take action against me.
“I don’t want to bring problems to my family members who will be with me. So let’s say (there’s a) hiccup or problems (arise), we will have to go through a lot of trouble. So I try to avoid that,” said Mr Lee. 
Private-hire driver Sunari Sahari, who brought his family to Johor Bahru for a road trip during the recent September school holidays, told CNA he suspects that will be the last time he crosses over for a while because he still has not successfully installed his VEP. 
Besides holiday road trips, Mr Sunari also regularly frequents Johor Bahru to visit some of his family members who live there. He told CNA that he is mentally prepared to not be able to see them until he resolves his VEP application. 
“It’s certainly a possibility (that we won’t be visiting for a while). Many who have applied have not gotten their VEP so it’s an issue, and we don’t know where to turn to,” said Mr Sunari, who is stuck in the application process because some of his documents were rejected. 
“The whole thing has been problematic and the way the deadline was imposed, everything became so rushed. We have family to visit, so I urge that the Malaysian government reconsider extending the deadline, or make things easier for people,” he added. 
Some drivers have turned to private Singapore consultancy firm Innox Group, which offers to help drivers with the VEP application and tagging process for a price of around S$150 (US$115).
Innox’s general manager Christopher Leow told CNA that there has been an “overwhelming” number of enquiries for its services, with most of them from drivers who are “less tech savvy”. 
Mr Leow explained that many of the drivers struggle with the nitty gritty components of the application process, such as linking up the Touch ‘N Go e-wallets with their registration, and installing the RFID tags onto the vehicles. 
“The more applications we handle, the more familiar we get with the system,” he said, adding that there were tiny details that could trip applicants up.  
He added that drivers who have not installed their VEP should hold off from entering Malaysia as nothing is worth the risk of getting caught by breaking the law.
“Because the thing is that they have made it clear, first October, this implementation will be effective for private car owners, they will impose fines and even jail. From a professional point of view, I will not suggest you take the risk to try going in without a VEP,” he said. 
Meanwhile, some drivers told CNA that they are considering other modes of transport to cross the Causeway after the Oct 1 deadline. 
Mr Henry Chua who works in Singapore’s civil service told CNA that he will turn to cross-border taxi services for his monthly short vacation in Malaysia instead of driving. 
A one-way taxi journey between Ban San Street in Singapore and Larkin in Johor Bahru typically costs around S$60. 
“It’s more expensive than driving but a day trip to JB is still cheaper and more convenient than flying to KL (Kuala Lumpur) or taking a ferry to Batam,” added the 48-year-old. 
Mr Lee who works in the construction industry told CNA that he will consider using the KTMB Tebrau Shuttle train service to cross the border, before renting a car to see his clients, who may be based in different parts of peninsula Malaysia. 
“Getting KTMB tickets is difficult because they often sell out fast, but we have to adapt to this new way (of travel),” he added. 
Some Johor Bahru-based companies providing cross-border car services and car rentals have reported a sharp hike in bookings and enquiries recently. 
Mr Maximillian Chua who runs CTwo Enterprise, a limousine car service between Singapore and Johor Bahru, told CNA that there has been a 20 per cent increase in enquiries for bookings after the Oct 1 period. 
“Many of these customers are drivers who have not gotten their VEP are asking if we can pick them up in Singapore and ferry them around for a day in Johor Bahru before sending them back,” he added. 
“It’s good for our business, but on the whole I think fewer Singaporeans will come into Johor after Oct 1 when the VEP deadline is enforced. Traffic will be smoother in town, but this could impact many businesses in Johor, including retail and hospitality,” said Mr Chua. 
Mr Najath Amir, who is managing director for Causeway Car Rental, told CNA that he has noticed an increase in bookings and sales enquiries by around 30 per cent to 40 per cent from Oct 1 onwards. 
Mr Najath explained that for October, his total fleet of 70 cars is already fully booked on weekends and more than half have been snapped up on weekdays. The company is planning to increase its fleet by around 10 per cent to meet the rising demand. 
“I would say suddenly it’s going to scale up. Mostly it’s because of the VEP and the upcoming October deadline,” said the Sri Lankan national who has been based in Malaysia for more than 10 years. 
Mr Najath added that there has also been an increasing trend of customers who are crossing the border via buses or trains, and requesting to collect their car rentals at the land checkpoint after clearing immigration. 
“Many of them texted me to say they drove in previously but (are facing issues) with the VEP applications so they prefer to rent,” he added. 
At the same time, Innox’s Mr Leow urged Singapore drivers to press on with applying for the VEP because he noticed that some customers are procrastinating on filling up the application as they are hoping that the Malaysia authorities will somehow shift the deadline again. 
“There are some that have no confidence in the implementation and whether it is going to happen or not, so they wait until the last minute. For drivers that are still trying or maybe only starting to apply now, please understand that there is a (backlog) of applications for Malaysia authorities to clear,” said Mr Leow. 
“The thing is Malaysia is intent on pushing this through, but everyone can tell that their manpower or system is not ready for this. So especially with a very tight deadline, there’s really nothing we can do,” he added.